


i'm so above you and it's plain to see

by ofself



Category: Korean Drama, 김과장 | Good Manager (TV)
Genre: F/M, Light Angst, One-Sided Attraction, Trapped In Elevator, Unrequited Crush, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2017-02-21
Packaged: 2018-09-26 02:34:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9858110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofself/pseuds/ofself
Summary: As it turns out, Yul is not very good at putting a lid on his feelings.Or alternatively, Yul and Ha-Kyung are trapped in an elevator.Chief Kim, Seo Yul / Ha-Kyung.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for Chief Kim upto Episode 8. Title from Lonely Boy by The Black Keys.
> 
> I love the interactions between Yul and Ha-Kyung and the hints the show gives us about his crush on her. Granted, that ship seems to have sailed but the ending of episode 8 made me feel a little hopeful.
> 
> I just wanted to get this fic out before canon crushes my dreams. Set sometime during episode 8 after them meeting at the elevator and before the board meeting. 
> 
> Un-beta'd so let me know if I hecked up somewhere. I apologize in advance for the Korean. I'm not yet sure about the right terminology and am dependent on the internet for basic phrases.

As he leaves the office, he thinks he could do with a drink or ten right about now.

 

Nothing seems to be going the way he’s envisioned and suffice to say, he’s furious about it. It’s about 11.00 pm and on the way to the elevators, he notices that most of the office is empty.

 

He does not know how this place is still standing, considering the fact that all he’s done from the time he’s joined is clean up messes and put out fires.

 

He paces in front of the elevator and jams the buttons impatiently. After what seems like a lifetime, the elevator opens up and maybe today’s is just not Yul’s day because the elevator has only one person and that person is Yoon Ha-Kyung.

 

He wants to be petty and let the elevator go but there’s also a small part of him, a very small one, that is excited at seeing her.

 

She too seems just as surprised as him and she smiles hesitantly. He stares at her coolly before before stepping into the elevator and her smile drops.

 

He’s too exhausted to be petty and he’s sure he can manage a five minute ride in the elevator, in absolute silence. After all, she means nothing to him. She just saw him as a means to getting more information.

 

Once the elevator doors close, the tension is stifling. Yul stares stiffly ahead and tries not to think of the fact that there’s not much distance between him and Ha-Kyung right now. Come to think of it, the last time they faced each other, it had been at this very same elevator. Yul was furious then, but now he’s just bitter. Because he’s faced the facts. Everybody is out to get something. And anyway, it was stupid of him to expect her to be different. He should know better by now and not be deceived by a pretty face. He _does_ know better now.

 

And yet, out of the corner of his eye, he cannot help but notice that she looks exhausted and wan. The Business Operations department has a lot more work now that Kim Sung-Ryong is in the waiting room and he’s sure that she’s doing more than her fair share, since she seems to be the only one on that team with brains and the work ethic to back it up.

 

Other than that faint smile when he entered the elevator, she hasn’t said anything or even looked his way. Which is... _good_ , he guesses. But he can’t help but feel all the more angry, irrational though that anger may be.

 

Why did she have to pretend with him? Why couldn’t she come right out and say it? And the most baffling of all, why does she seem to think of Sung-Ryeong as a good man when he’s anything but?

 

All these thoughts make him want to punch through glass or wreck a room. Preferably Sung-Ryeong’s office. And if he could wreck Sung-Ryeong’s face in the process, that would be an added and welcome bonus.

 

And at very moment, the elevator judders to a halt and the lights go off.

 

From beside him, he hears a small frightened gasp.

 

-

 

Yul quickly fishes out his phone and turns on the flashlight. All of a sudden, Ha-Kyung’s breathing seems to be all the more measured and even, a little too even if you ask him. He guesses that despite all appearances, she’s not feeling very calm currently. In his haste to turn on the flashlight, his hand fumbles and Yul almost drops his phone. He manages to catch it in the nick of time and turns on the flashlight. When the light from the phone floods the elevator, he can hear Ha-Kyung breathe a little easier and that eases the tension in his shoulders as well.

 

He moves forward to press the emergency button but despite him pressing the button repeatedly, nothing happens. Frustrated, Yul gives up after two minutes and tries to call security instead. But the even the elevator phone seems to be not working and his phone has no signal.

 

 _Fuck_.

 

He turns towards Ha-Kyung to ask her to try from her phone, only to find that she’s standing with her eyes screwed shut and her hands clenched in fists.

 

The grim line of Yul’s mouth softens, despite himself and he reaches out a hand to gingerly touch her arm.

 

“It’s going to be okay,” he manages to spit out gruffly, the words sounding alien to him. He’s not a nice man and he’s definitely not known for being comforting and kind.

 

Ha-Kyung slowly opens her eyes and looks up at him.

 

“I’m sorry,” she murmurs apologetically, “I just- I don’t like being trapped.”

 

That’s putting it mildly, considering the fact that she looks white as a sheet currently.

 

“Can you try calling security? The elevator phone is not working and I have no signal.” Yul tells her, consciously forcing his voice to be non-committal and calm. He doesn’t want to examine the reason as to why.

 

Ha-Kyung nods and sets down a box filled with files before getting her phone out of her bag and squinting at it with confusion. She looks up at him with blank face and shows him her phone.

 

No signal.

 

Yul swears under his breath. This is the last thing he needs today.

 

Ha-Kyung screws her eyes shut once more and resumes her measured (but really panicked) breathing.

 

Yul does not know what to do and he’s never at a loss. The only thing he can do is wait.

 

No, the only thing _they_ can do is wait.

 

He moves a little closer to her and once more places a hand on her, this time on her shoulder. He applies light but firm pressure and Ha-Kyung’s eyes fly open at the contact.

 

“It’s going to be alright,” he says once more. “I’m sure they will fix the problem soon.”

 

He’s not really sure if things are going to be alright, but at this very moment, he knows Ha-Kyung needs to hear that, and he’s not that much of an asshole. This one time, he can let things be.

 

Ha-Kyung nods mutely and stares at him with an emotion he cannot really identify. She looks troubled and Yul wonders if it's because of the elevator or if it’s because of something else.

 

Suddenly, the elevator judders once more and the lights in the elevator flicker ominously and it feels like the elevator is moving, _fast_. Yul does not even have to think. He quickly draws Ha-Kyung into his arms and hunches over her protectively as she muffles a scream into the material of his court.

 

If they do make it out of this alive, Yul is going to rip building maintenance a new one.

 

In a few seconds, the juddering stops and the lift halts. Yul cautiously lifts his head and looks around. The lights come back on and the elevator seems to be moving calmly, like the last few minutes haven’t happened at all.

 

Ha-Kyung lifts her head as well and Yul looks down at her.

 

Up close, she’s even more beautiful than usual, cheeks pink and warm brown eyes looking up at him with a mixture of gratitude and confusion.

 

Yul does not know what the fuck is happening and what the fuck they are doing but for a few seconds, he does not want to think.

 

He brings a hand up to cup her face instead, thumb grazing the soft line of her jawbone and he thinks, _fuck it_.

 

His head bends and his lips come within inches of hers, so close that he can almost feel the dry softness of her lips before the elevator makes a ‘ding’ noise and they both jump apart as if they have been burned.

 

They share a charged look before the elevator doors open and Ha-Kyung hurries out, followed by Yul.

 

Security is waiting outside and their voices are raised in a cacophony of apologies but Yul can see and hear nothing other than Ha-Kyung. She stops a little distance away from the security people and looks at him. He takes a step towards her and she startles, so he stays right where he is, hands curled into fists.

 

“ _Kamsahamnida EsSa-nim_. I appreciate your kindness. I’m sorry if I caused you any trouble. That was not my intention.” Her apology is quiet and clear. He’s not sure what exactly she’s apologizing for though.

 

He wants to respond but he’s not sure what to say. He is Seo Yul, and he’s always absolutely sure of everything. But when in front of her, that’s not always the case.

 

“ _Annyonghi kyesayo_ ,” she says with a small smile and bows briefly before turning around and walking away. He’s sure he imagined it but for a brief second, it felt like her smile was a wistful one.

 

Yul stands there and watches her walk away and feels all the anger from before dissipating from his body in a rush.

 

He just feels so tired now.

 

 _And he feels so alone_.

**Author's Note:**

> I recently got sucked into KDramas and it has re-ignited my love for fandom and fannish things such as fic-writing. HOORAY. 
> 
> Come say hi to me on tumblr! I'm at wullu.tumblr.com.


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